The USS Princeton (CG-59) holds an important place in defending American interests and protecting freedom across the globe. A Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser for the US Navy, she is superbly equipped to succeed in even the most demanding of missions.

The sixth vessel to bare the proud name, the USS Princeton was named after the historic Revolutionary War battle, the Battle of Princeton, where General George Washington’s forces soundly defeated the advancing British. The Battle of Princeton was a true turning point for the American Revolutionaries. While the British considered it a minor American victory at best, the effect of the battle had lasting implications and boosted the morale of the regulars. The result of the battle was a dramatic increase in recruits for the army and deep sense that victory was possible. Some historians even go as far as saying that the Battle of Princeton was a decisive battle that won America her independence.

Commissioned on 11 February 1989, the USS Princeton has a displacement of approximately 9,600 long tons and stretches some 567 feet in length. Armed with naval guns and anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine missiles, plus other weapons, she is equipped for surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. She also is the home of two Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters.

This coin is minted in the USA from solid bronze, using special deep-relief coining dies, and hand-finished with an antique patina for exceptional quality and detail. This coin pays tribute to the USS Princeton and salutes the exceptional service of her crew. The obverse contains a port view of the USS Princeton sailing through San Diego bay under the Coronado Bridge. The reverse displays the shield and crest of the USS Princeton along with the ship’s motto, imbued with bold enamel, of “Honor and Glory.” The words are derived from a letter from George Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette in which he wrote: "It follows then as certain as night succeeds day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and that with it everything honorable and glorious."

™ Department of the Navy. Officially Licensed by the Department of the Navy.